Street-sweeper.



PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

W. DUPRE.

STREET SWEEPER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.11, 1904.

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PATBNTED NOV. 19, 1907.

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' STREET SWEBPER.

APPLICATION FILED HAB.11,'1904.

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wvl/essee No. 871,212. PATENTED NOV. 19, 1907.

W. DUPRE.

STREET SWEBPER.

APPLICATION FILED 151111.11. 1904.

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w. Tu]? 6e .UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WILFRED DUPRE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF FORTY-EIGHT FIFTIETHS TO HUGH H. OROURKE, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

STREET-SWEEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed March 11. 1904. Serial No. 197.683.

used as an attachment for a dump-cart or other vehicle.

The .es ecial objects of this invention are to provi e a strong, simple, and eflicient street sweeping apparatus which may be directlysup orted by a dump-cart or other vehicle, an which will not require additional traction-wheels for carrying the same;

to 1provide a street swee ing apparatus which W1 sweep the full widt of a street up to the 'curbings thereof; to provide means for controlling the sweeping attachment from the drivers seat of the cart or other vehicle; and to provide improved details and special features ofconstruction as hereinafter described and more particularly pointed .out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawings, Figure 1 1s a plan view partly broken away of a cart with a sweeping attachment constructed according to this invention applied thereto. Fig. '2 is a side view of the same with one of the rear wheels removed. Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal sectional view thereof, Fig. .4 is a fragmentary detail view illustrating the cooperating action between the bars of the endless conveyer and the holding plates, andFig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view showing one form of spring which can be employed.

One special object of my present invention is to provide a street sweeping machine in which a swee ing attachment is directly attached to an carried by the dump-eart or other vehicle itself in such a wav as to insure efficient operation.

Another object is to provide a convenient and efficient construction in which the brushes are not narrower than the distance se arating the outer surfaces of the vehicle w eels su porting them so that the full width of tiie street can be cleaned u to the curbings or side walks, and to com ine the same. with eflicient means for delivering the swee ings from the brushes to a conveyer whic conducts them into the cart.

In a sweeping attachment constructed according to this invention, the parts have been especially designed to employ a sweeping brush which may be as wide or wider than the space between the vehicle wheels, so that the cart can be driven close enough to the curbstone to sweep or clean the full width of the street.

Referring to the accompanying drawings and in detail, I have shown a sweeping apparatus constructed according to this invention combined with a cart or vehicle of the dum -cart type. This cart, as herein illustrated, having a fixed rear axle '10. The framework F is pivotally connected at its forward end to the front axle 11 having the front wheels 12. The drivers seat S is mounted on the frame-work of the cart in the ordinary manner. These parts may be of substantially the ordinary construction employed in dumping carts or similar vehicles.

The body B of the cart is pivotally supported u on the rear axle in the ordinary manner, ut instead of setting down between the rear wheels, the body B is referably made wide enough to overhang tie wheels, and is rovided with housings or boxes 13 which fit over the rear wheels. The sweeping attachment is detachably connected with and is carried by the cart itself.

As shown in Fig. 2, the rear axle 10 is provided with the yokes or socket pieces 14. Fitting into the yokes 14 are supporting pieces 15 which may be detachably pinned in place by retaining pins 16. Connected to the rear ends of the supporting arms 15 is a sheet metal housing 17 containing the sweeping brush 18. The housing 17 and the sweeping brush 18 may be as wide or wider than the space between the wheels of the vehicle, and I regard this as a feature of importance, as this enables me to clean the entire width of the street up to the curbstones or sidewalk. A frame-work extends upwardly from the housing 17 and is supported independently of the body B. This frame-work comprises side plates 19 which are connected by a center piece 20. At its upper end the frame-work is provided with a shaft 2], and in the housing 17 below the center piece 20 is a shaft 22.

Mounted'on the shafts 21 and 22 is an endless conveyer consisting of a belt 23 of strong canvas or similar material carrying com rises a su ortin frame F P PP o the cross-strips or slats 24. At its upper end, the frame-work 19 is provided with a deflector-board or shelf 25 for directing material towards the forward part of the cart. To direct the material from the sweeping brush 18 to the endless conveyer, I employ a sweeping plate 26 which is fixed in the housing 17, and the lower edge of which is slitted to form separate blades or sections which may yield when the sweeper passes over stones or other obstructions. Hinged to the sweeper-plate 26 is a yielding plate 27 which is normally swung forward by any desired arrangement of springs, for example, by a spring-rod 47, having one end fixed and the other bearing on the plate 27. The swinging-plate 27 forms in efiect a pivoted door cooperating with the slats 24 so that as each successive slat passes around the bottom shaft 22 it will push back the swingingplate 27, and as soon as the slat passes the same, the swinging-plate will move back to catch and retain all dirt not carried up by the action of the slat. In practice, I have found that this construction provides a sim- 1 ple and efficient means for directing the dust or dirt from the sweeping brush to the endless conveyer. I

In order to control the action of the sweeper from the drivers seat of the cart, I have provided lifting attachments which may raise the sweeper up from the ground so as to render the same inoperative, and to permit the same to pass over the larger or higher obstructions. As shown in the drawings, the lifting cords 28 are connected to the supporting arms 15. The lifting cords pass up over pulleys 29, and at their forward ends the lifting cords are connected to a cord which is wound upon the vertical shaft 30. The vertical shaft 30 is provided at its upper end with an operating handle for winding up the lifting cords to raise the sweeping attachment when desired, and the sweeping.

attachment may be held in raised position by means of a ratchet plate and pawl as shown.

Any desired arrangement of gearing may be employed for driving the moving parts. In the construction herein illustrated, a driving-gear 31 is secured to and turns with one of the rear wheels. Meshing with and driven from the gear 31 is a gear 32 secured on one end of a cross-shaft 33. At its opposite end the cross-shaft 33 is provided with a sprocket wheel 34 which is connected by a drive-chain to a sprocket wheel 35 on the shaft of the sweeping brush 18. site end the shaft of the sweeping brush is provided with a sprocket wheel 36 which is connected by a chain to drive a sprocketv wheel 37. Fastened upon and turning with the sprocket wheel 37 is a gear'section 370 which, as most clearly illustrated by dotted At its oppolines in Fig. 3, meshes with and drives a gear upon the lower shaft 22 of the endless conveyer. In .the actual use of a street sweeping attachment as thus constructed, the dirt swept up by the sweeping-brush will be carried up by the endless conveyer and allowed to fall into the body of the cart, and inasmuch as the sweeping attachment forms an attachment which is supfported entirely from the cart or vehicle itsel I have provided a construction which can be driven around comparatively short turns or corners. Furthermore, as the sweeping brush is the full width of the vehicle body, the entire width of the street up to the curbings or sidewalks can be swept or cleaned.

When it is desired to render the sweeping attachment inoperative, the construction may be lifted or raised by the connections before described. When the cart has been filled, or it is desired to use the cart for other purposes, the sweeping attachment may be readily disconnected from the cart and can be used in connection with another cart, if desired.

I am aware that numerous changes may be made in the construction of my street sweeping apparatus by those who are skilled in the art without departing from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims.

I do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the special constructions I have herein shown and described, but

What I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination with a sweeping device, of an inclined endless conveyer, a plate pivoted at a point above the lower end of the conveyer and-depending from its pivots, and

vielding means for forcing the lower edge of v the plate into engagement with the lower end of the conveyer.

2. The combination of a sweeping device, a conveyer comprising movable slats, and a plate yieldingly mounted and extending downwardly from above into engagement with the conveyer, thereby forming a pocket with the conveyer for the reception of sweepin s.

T3. The combination of a sweeping brush, a conveyer, a movable plate normally engaging the conveyer, and means for resiliently forcing the plate toward the conveyer; the conveyer and plate forming a pocket for the reception of sweepings, the conve yer having means for engaging the plate, pushing it outwardly from the conveyer, and passing through the pocket from the bottom to remove sweepings from the pocket.

4. In a sweeping and deliverin mechanism, the combination of the brus a plate for gathering the material swept up by the brush, an endless conveyer having slats, and a spring-actuated pivoted plate normally in position to engage the slats and adapted to be moved back thereby to permit the passage of said slats.

5. In a sweeping and elevating mechanism, the combination of a cart, a sweeping mechanism mounted upon and supported entirely by said cart, and comprising arms defor engaging the conveyer, and gearing for operating the brush and conveyer from the cart wheels.

6. In a sweeping and delivery mechanism, the combination of a cart having a body portion with housings or boXings to receive the rear wheels, said body portion and housings 20 I extending out over said rear wheels, and an attachment comprising arms extending rearwardly from the cart, a housing carried by said arms, a conveyer frame supported by the last named housing, a conveyer connected with said frame and adapted to deliver into said body portion, and a brush mounted in the housing and adapted to deliver to the conveyer, said brush and conveyer being a width not less than the distance between the outer surface of said rear wheels.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set i my hand, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILFRED DUPRE. \Vitnesses:

PHILIP W. SOUTHGATE, LOUIS W. SOUTHGATE. 

